Eclipse 4.2, Mac OS X 10.8 (ML), and Java 6

Question

I'm trying to run Eclipse 4.2 (latest from website: eclipse-SDK-4.2-macosx-cocoa-x86_64) on Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion).

I have Java 7 installed, but I keep getting prompted to install Java 6. When I choose to forgo the install by clicking "Not Now", Eclipse exits.

$ java -version
java version "1.7.0_05"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_05-b06)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 23.1-b03, mixed mode)

$ whereis java
/usr/bin/java

Any ideas on how to get Eclipse to work with the latest version of Java? README is lacking any useful information (and even claims Eclipse was tested with Java 7 on some platforms).

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UPDATE: Running sudo /Applications/.Eclipse/Eclipse.app/Contents/MacOS/eclipse works fine. After running under sudo and then switching back to lowly me with /Applications/.Eclipse/Eclipse.app/Contents/MacOS/eclipse results in a lock file error (permission denied).

It appears I have two problems:

• Running through icon click results in "Need Java 6"

• Running from command line results in "Permission Denied"

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UPDATE: It appears to be more junk from Cupertino:

Apple Radar: 12082976

Here's the text that Apple wants to hide from the world:

I purchased a new Mac Book Pro. I immediately upgraded to Mountain Lion. I installed Java 7 from Sun [Oracle]:

$ java -version java version "1.7.0_05" Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_05-b06) Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 23.1-b03, mixed mode)

$ whereis java /usr/bin/java

$ /usr/libexec/java_home /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.7.0.jdk/Contents/Home

When I attempt to run the Java Preferences (in /Applications/Utilities) and Eclipse, I get prompted to install Java (see attachment).

This outdated article was no help (adding environment.plist): https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/MacOSX/Conceptual/BPRuntimeConfig/Articles/EnvironmentVars.html. I thought the problem might be $JAVA_HOME was not set, but I was wrong.

I think I got more useful information from Stack Overflow rather than the vendor (Apple), but its still not solved. https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/58203/mountain-lion-with-java-7-only and https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/57986/multiple-java-versions-support-on-os-x-and-java-home-location.

Please fix this. I spends thousands on Apple hardware and hundreds on Apple software, and this sort of thing is not acceptable. I have personally wasted hours on this issue, as have others. How can the Apple QA department miss another gapping hole?

Solution

From here.

JDK 7 will be installed under /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.7.0.jdk, JDK 6 under /System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines.

To trick OS X to accept Java 7 instead of proposing to install Java 6 a simple symlink is enough:

    sudo mkdir /System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines
    sudo su ln -s /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.7.0.jdk /System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk

Most Java Programms will run with this little hack without the need to install Java 6. 

Note that the OP in the above question specifically talks about Eclipse not working with Java 7.

Also this might be worthwhile read.

Comments

[jww]

That looks like a good trick (sans breaking the Control Panel applet). I'm not closing the ticket at the moment - I would like to find a solution that does not have side effects.

[jww]

Thanks user827992 - Java Preferences does not run. As I said, more Cupertino junk.

[user827992]

@noloader editing the eclipse.ini usually works as last option

[jww]

Well, I did not see an answer without side effects and Apple did not address the issue in 10.8.1. Closing as answered since this seems about as good as its going to get until Apple stops shipping broken software.

[Dash]

There's no Java Preferences on Mountain Lion

[Xavier Arias Botargues]

One can learn a lot from it's students, and it's not bad at all :)

[MiB]

There is a Java preferences panel in Mavericks (OS X 10.9) that I assume comes with jdk7 from Oracle. u45 in my case.